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Some Saturday Helpful NCAA Hoops Information

Free College Basketball Prediction From Allen Eastman:
Take Louisville (-19) over Seton Hall (12 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 23)
I think that Louisville will win this one by 35! This spread can't be high enough! The Cardinals are a team that people forgot about. At one point they were No. 1 in the country. They are in the mix for the Big East Championship. They will not take it easy on this Pirates team. Louisville won by 15 on the road when they played in January. They will be even better at home. Seton Hall has lost eight straight games, and they were blown out at home by 21 points against Marquette. This team was also blown out by 22 points at Georgetown. Louisville is looking like a team that wants to make a March run similar to last year. They will win this game going away. Lay the points.

VCU at Xavier, Saturday, Feb. 23, 2:00 ET
VCU is looking to bounce back from a 76-62 loss at Saint Louis on Tuesday, but the Rams are still the highest ranked Atlantic 10 Conference team on the Pomeroy Ratings at 22nd in the country overall. The Rams are much improved offensively compared to the last couple of years as they now rank 20th in offensive efficiency, while at the same time they have continued to play the pressure defense that has personified Shaka Smart coached teams, leading the nation in defensive turnover percentage. Xavier is a disappointing 10-5 and has yet to beat a Pomeroy Top 40 team all season. VCU is 21-13, 61.8 percent in its last 34 games when coming off of a road loss.
LEAN: VCU

NC State at North Carolina, Saturday, Feb. 23, 4:00 ET
These teams were involved in a wild 91-83 shootout the first time they met this season and there is really no reason to believe the pace of this game will be any slower. NC State ranks sixth in the country in offensive efficiency and 17th in effective field goal percentage, and it also ranks sixth in three-point shooting. Unfortunately, the defense is ranked 148th in effective field goal percentage allowed, leaving the Wolfpack vulnerable to high scoring games. The Tar Heels will likely oblige here as North Carolina is ranked fifth in the nation with a tempo rating of 72.7 possessions per game, and they are on a mini-roll winning two straight games since a narrow five-point loss at Duke. The 'over' is 9-5, 64.3 percent in the last 14 North Carolina conference games when coming off of an 'under'.
LEAN: OVER

Detroit at Wichita State, Saturday, Feb. 23, 4:00 ET
One if the BracketBuster games this weekend sees a Wichita State team ranked 31st overall on the Pomeroy Ratings hosting a Detroit team ranked 63rd. Besides being the higher ranked team the Shockers come out of the stronger conference in the Missouri Valley, which is the third ranked mid-major as a whole on Pomeroy. Yes Detroit is ranked 18th in the country in offensive efficiency, but the Titans are not used to facing defenses like Wichita State posses in the Horizon League, as the Shockers rank 22nd in defensive efficiency and 32nd in effective field goal percentage against. Conversely, the Titans are a dismal 156th in defensive efficiency and 308th in effective field goal percentage against vs. an easier schedule. Detroit is 9-19-1 ATS in its last 29 non-conference games.
LEAN: WICHITA STATE

Marquette at Villanova, Saturday, Feb. 23, 6:00 ET
Marquette is in a three-way tie atop the Big East standings with Syracuse and Georgetown as they are all 10-3 in conference play. The Golden Eagles must now guard against looking ahead to their big home date with Syracuse on Monday, but the fact that a loss here would diminish the importance of that game should be enough to keep Marquette motivated. Villanova had that unconscious spell last month when they beat Louisville and Syracuse in consecutive games, but the Wildcats have come back to earth since than and sit at just 8-6 in conference play. Villanova is ranked only 197th nationally in effective field goal percentage, so the Cats could have trouble keeping pace vs. a hot Marquette team that is ranked an excellent 14th in the country in effective efficiency. Marquette is 16-8 ATS in its last 24 road games.
LEAN: Marquette

Nevada at San Diego State, Saturday, Feb. 23, 6:00 ET
This is a bigger mismatch this season than it would have been in previous years as Nevada is a team in transition. The Wolf Pack are 12-13 overall and just 3-8 in conference play in their first season in the Mountain West after coming over from the WAC, as they are ranked just 253rd in effective field goal percentage and 247th in effective field goal percentage against. They also enter this contest having lost five of their last six games including losing as a home favorite to Fresno State in overtime on Tuesday. On the other hand, San Diego State is ranked 17th in the country overall on the Pomeroy Ratings, and the key to the Aztecs' success had been their defense, as they rank 13th in defensive efficiency and 19th in eFG% against. These teams have already met this season with San Diego State prevailing by 21 points on the road in Reno. Nevada is 11-20-2 ATS in its last 33 games after being favored in its previous game.
LEAN: SAN DIEGO STATE

Louisville hosts Seton Hall in search of its sixth win in seven games. Notwithstanding the Cardinals' 104-101 five-overtime loss to Notre Dame, they’ve earned four of those five victories by at least 14 points. Seton Hall is looking to snap an eight-game losing streak and fell 73-58 in the last meeting with Louisville on Jan. 9. The Pirates are 0-4 ATS in the last four clashes between the schools.

(2) Miami-Florida at Wake Forest (+8.5)

Miami, in first place in the ACC, looks to extend its win streak to 15 games when the Hurricanes visit Wake Forest. Miami is 10-1 on the road, including 7-0 in the ACC, while Wake Forest, which is 9-4 at home, has lost eight of its last 10 games. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 57-56 home loss to Georgia Tech last Saturday. The Hurricanes are 10-1 ATS in their last 11 Saturday games.

Southern Miss at (19) Memphis (-7)

The Golden Eagles have lost 10 straight to ranked teams while the Tigers have won 17 consecutive games. Southern Miss has won three in a row since losing 89-76 to Memphis two weeks ago and is 0-4-1 ATS in its last five road games.

(24) VCU at Xavier (+3.5)

Xavier needs to finish strong to extend its streak of seven consecutive NCAA tournament appearances. Both teams have a shot at securing a top-four finish in the Atlantic 10, which carries with it a bye past the opening round of the league tournament. The Rams have tallied 70-plus points in nine of their conference games, but are 0-4 ATS in their last four road contests.

(14) Oklahoma State at West Virginia (+4.5)

Oklahoma State dropped a full game behind Kansas and Kansas State with five games to play in the regular season after losing 68-67 in double-overtime to the Jayhawks on Wednesday. West Virginia is 0-7 against the six teams ranked above it in the Big 12 standings, which doesn’t bode well for the Mountaineers’ chances in the conference tournament. West Virginia is coming off a 10-point loss to Kansas State in a game that wasn't that close, and the Mountaineers lost 80-66 to Oklahoma State on Jan. 26 in Stillwater. The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following an ATS loss.

Washington State at (12) Arizona (-15)

Arizona is in a first-place tie in the Pac-12 with four regular-season games remaining and knows it can’t afford a stumble against last-place Washington State. The Wildcats notched a 79-65 road win over the Cougars, who have lost seven straight games and are just 1-7 on the road, on Feb. 2. Washington State is 0-5 ATS in the last five meetings.

TCU at (9) Kansas (-24.5)

The Horned Frogs have won once in conference play, taking down the Jayhawks 62-55 on Feb. 6. That defeated prompted Kansas coach Bill Self to say it was the worst team the school has put on the floor "since Dr. Naismith was there." TCU's stunning upset of the Jayhawks was its first-ever win in the Big 12, but the Horned Frogs have reverted to their losing ways since that landmark victory by dropping their last four games. TCU has won only once away from home -- at Rice on Dec. 22 -- and has been overwhelmed in six conference road games, losing by an average of 21.3 points. The Horned Frogs have lost 12 of 13 overall.

(16) New Mexico at (21) Colorado State (-6)

New Mexico has a chance to expand its lead in the Mountain West, while host Colorado State is looking to move into a tie for first when the two squads meet Saturday. The Lobos have a one-game lead over the Rams and can move closer to the conference regular-season crown if it can end Colorado State’s 27-game homecourt winning streak. The Rams are 14-0 at home this season. The Lobos are 1-4 ATS in their last five trips to Colorado St.

(11) Georgetown at (8) Syracuse (-7)

A share of first place is on the line with these teams in a three-way tie with Marquette atop the Big East, and a record crowd of 35,012 is expected to pack the Carrier Dome. Georgetown has won eight straight games since its surprising loss to South Florida, while Syracuse has won four of its last five. The Hoyas have dropped their last two games against Syracuse, which hasn’t lost at the Carrier Dome this season. Georgetown is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games overall.

(20) Marquette at Villanova (-1)

The Golden Eagles have been stuck in a two-win, one-loss pattern since Jan. 12, but a victory against the Wildcats would be their third straight. Marquette’s bench has been outstanding, outscoring opposing reserves 736-351 this season. Villanova has won four of its last five following Monday’s 71-63 victory over Rutgers. The Wildcats are 6-1 ATS in their last seven Saturday games.

Arkansas at (4) Florida (-17.5)

The Razorbacks, who have won three straight, beat Florida 80-69 on Feb. 5. That's the most points allowed by a Gator defense ranked third in the country in scoring defense (53 points). The Gators are 12-0 at home while Arkansas is 1-5 in road SEC games. The Razorbacks are 4-0 ATS in their last four games vs. a team with a winning record.

San Diego at (3) Gonzaga (-21)

Gonzaga will try to keep its perfect West Coast Conference record intact - and its hopes for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament alive - when it hosts San Diego. The Bulldogs have won their 13 WCC games by an average of nearly 19 points, but their closest margin of victory came in their ninth straight win over the Toreros, 65-63, on Feb. 2. Gonzaga is 0-5 ATS in its last five Saturday games.

(13) Kansas State at Texas (+2.5)

After Monday's 71-61 win over West Virginia, K-State kept pace in the Big 12 standings, as the Wildcats remain in a tie for first place with No. 9/9 Kansas with 10-3 league records. Texas enters Saturday's contest with wins in two of its last three games since the return of sophomore guard Myck Kabongo, who returned on a Feb. 13 after a 23-game NCAA?suspension. The Longhorns are averaging 63.9 points on 40.9 percent shooting, including 27.9 percent from 3-point range, while holding opponents to 63.5 points on 36.8 percent shooting, including an NCAA-best 26.8 percent from beyond the arc. The Longhorns are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games.

Stanford at (23) Oregon (-3)

Oregon is deadlocked for first place in the Pac-12 standings heading into Saturday’s game against visiting Stanford. The Ducks lost their grip on sole possession by losing for the fourth time in seven games Thursday, giving up a buzzer beater to California in the 48-46 loss. In each of the recent setbacks, Oregon has been held to 54 points or fewer. Stanford began the skid for the Ducks, beating them 76-52 on Jan. 30. The Cardinal are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.

Missouri at Kentucky: A week ago what would this line have been and would anyone have even considered taking the Tigers! Now it's the Wildcats who may not even make the NCAA tournament, and the Tigers are again playing their way in and up, with at least three and possibly five winnable games left. Against Vanderbilt, Kentucky blocked five shots (only) and three were by Cauley-Stein. That's an awful lot of pressure to be putting on yet another Freshman, and ones who's only played about 40% of the teams minutes this season. Against Tennessee, they blocked three shots, two by Cauley-Stein. But, how over valued is Missouri off the Florida win, when the simple fact remains that there only road win was at Mississippi State. Since Kentucky has simply not been creating turnovers (14th in the SEC) and the Tigers are an excellent free throw shooting team as well as the number one defensive rebounding team, I actually like their chances here. I had thought that perhaps it was now Missouri who would be over valued, but there letdown may come at South Carolina next week against Frank Martin's Gamecocks. Lean Tigers and over without turnovers.

Creighton at St. Mary's: I'd like to take the Gaels here, but with a Thursday game against a BYU team that will wear them out, perhaps not. Both teams desperately need to win to be in, and Creighton has a gimme next before finishing at home against Witchita State, so the situation probably leads me to think that Creighton wins this game, especially with an extra days rest. Between that and the glaring weakness St. Mary's has with perimeter defense, I doubt I could take the home team here. However, the Jays have really struggled to score of late and simply are not road warriors. Both teams very experienced so I doubt they're going to attack each other, much like a playoff game in that teams will, at least initially, play NOT to make mistakes, meaning I may look hard at that under especially given that it will likely be be up from about 146 fairly quickly, so we'll wait for the best number here. Admittedly it appears like the Gaels have been playing better basketball, and the result of the BYU game will tell a lot. They've still only lost at home to Gonzaga, but they've not really beaten a good team. However, not losing at home does instill confidence.

Marquette at Villanova: Somehow Marquette is tied for the Big East lead. 'Nova simply looking to get into the 5-8 spot in the Big East Tournament. 'Cats have been playing some good basketball lately, and maybe their youth is starting to come together, and gain confidence. But, this will be their toughest test in some time. Marquette's conference losses have all come on the road, but they've got a game as soon as Monday back home against Syracuse, so a classic look-ahead spot here.They're (Villanova) is going to want to speed this game up, hence they're going to have to protect the ball. I love what Villanova has been doing on the glass, and given that Marquette plays slow and doesn't fire three's, I like the 'Cats to stay in this game all day. Marquette will be challenged inside by the height of the Wildcats, so a Villanova win is not out of the question.

NC State at North Carolina: Both team with nearly identical records and motivation aside from the normal "we don't like each other" stuff. Only Heels loss at home was to Miami, in a game that was even closer than the score indicated. Miami just made the plays (experience) down the stretch and UNC did not. Wolfpack will be favored in all of their remaining games, so THIS one is big for them, perhaps bigger than it is for North Carolina. They (NC State) can pretty much control their ACC destiny after this. NC State beat them earlier this season in what was a fairly high scoring game, meaning I'd almost automatically look to the under first. NC State just drained threes and lived at the free throw line, something I would expect to correct itself this game. NC State without a real quality road win in Conference (BC and Clemson do not count, although they are tough places to play). This is a game I may look to take NC State 1H and then expect the speed of the game that the Heels play to wear on the thin bench of the Wolfpack, so NC 2H.

Baylor at Oklahoma: Still seething we didn't formally add Iowa State to our Wednesday card, but it is what it is. Anyone who bought the package or is a long term subscriber knew what we were going to do. If the standings in the Big-12 hold fairly true to what they are now, these teams could well meet a third time in a couple of weeks. Baylor lost to the Sooners at home and still have only beaten TCU on the road, while Oklahoma's only home loss was to K-State and they've got a reasonably easy (if there is such a thing) schedule left. Sooners' ought to be favored by perhaps a few more than they should, but with Baylor near the bottom of the conference in creating turnovers and not being as good on the offensive boards as perhaps their length would have you suspect, I can see a Sooner rout. However, Oklahoma does most of their damage inside (Baylor is actually a better perimeter defense) and they are an excellent FT shooting team, so inasmuch as I'd like to make a case for the points, right now I can't.

New Mexico at Colorado State: Too little, too late, for the Rams at UNLV, but they can take plenty from that game. New Mexico's last really good win was over CSU, so clearly there's even more reason for CSU to play hard here. Colorado State will be favored in all their remaining games, while New Mexico has a tough one at SDSU coming up. Obviously the MWC Championship is in Las Vegas, and were it not I would call it a lock that these two meet again for the Conference title and a great seed, so again, this game has ramifications well beyond "this game". It's almost impossible for me to fade a team like CSU that gets nearly every missed shot at both ends of the floor, and for as small as they are it's been tough to fathom all year (see coaching). The caveat when playing New Mexico is their length, but CSU is also one of the most seasoned teams in the nation. They both get to the line a ton and are great FT shooting teams, which would give me a decent lean to the over, even though this game might be played slower than I'd like to make that bet. However, it ought to be plenty close, meaning some free throws late. I just have to wonder if CSU isn't (or won't be) favored by a couple too many.

Denver at Northern Iowa: Clearly Northern Iowa has played the far better schedule this season, so why isn't it just that easy.These teams are mirror images of each other on offense, as both will simply walk the ball up and take the first available three point shot. NI does have a significant height advantage, but in a game like this where rebounds are few and far between because of all the long shots, I'm not sure how much that really matters. Denver's more likely to create a couple of extra turnovers, while NI is likely to grab a few more points at the line. Denver hasn't had a bad loss. They played a tough first 6-8 games, and although they lost most of them, they should have. And have only lost once since December 29th. NI doesn't have a bad loss, either, but Indiana State and E'ville beat them at home. They did, however, beat both Witchita State and Creighton at home. I what should be an extremely low scoring game, I may make the case for Denver here. If they win this game, with their last three at home they would almost certainly finish Conference play at 16-2 and with their RPI and a reasonable showing against LaTech could be in the Tournament.

Southern Miss at Memphis: Southern Miss playing for seeding in the Big Dance, because unless they beat Memphis in the Conference Tournament, that's what's left. Memphis hasn't lost since December 15ht to L'ville, and already beat Southern Miss on the road. Having said that, I suppose Memphis could actually be a little over confident here, maybe thinking about their road game at Xavier on Tuesday. I do like the fact that not only will Memphis get sloppy with the ball, but Southern Miss will indeed create turnovers, but, so will SoMiss and if Memphis forces the pace that could be a problem of epic proportion in the way of easy baskets SoMiss cannot afford to give up. This is the time of year when the contenders separate themselves from pretenders, and simply taking underdogs is a process that typically needs to be revisited. SoMiss is simply going to have to hit their three's to stay in this, because with their size disadvantage Memphis ought to have their way inside. Southern Miss will win their remaining three games, so there is nothing not to leave on the court here. That could mean just about anything. They may well cover at least the first half, and this could be another game we bet in-game.

VCU at Xavier: We faded VCU against St. Louis and may do so again. There Conference schedule has been quite weak and they just don't have a quality road win. Xavier on the other hand has a date with Memphis, while the Rams have a ton of time off. This will be an interesting number. Xavier will slow the game down and has the serious length advantage, but VCU lead the conference in steals, which is interesting because Xavier has had issues protecting the ball. The Musketeers SHOULD control the boards and do defend the arc well, but they're going to have to score inside, and neither team shoots FT's all that well, so we've got a decent lean to the under in this one.

Long-time rivals No. 8 Syracuse and No. 11 Georgetown will tip off for the first of two regular-season meetings Saturday afternoon.

The Hoyas are among the hottest teams in college basketball, winning eight in a row SU and ATS. That includes wins as underdogs against Notre Dame, Louisville and Cincinnati. The Orange fell to Connecticut last week, but have bounced back for two SU and ATS wins against Seton Hall and Providence.

These two teams played once last season, a narrow three-point win for the then-No. 2 Orange in overtime against the then-No. 11 Hoyas. PF Otto Porter led the way for Georgetown in that game with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Porter (15.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG) is leading the Hoyas offense again this year as a threat to score from anywhere on the court, also knocking down 1.3 threes per game on a phenomenal 44.6% clip. His frontcourt mate Greg Whittington is still out with academic violations, but seeing as how the Hoyas have won eight in a row, that doesn’t seem to be a problem. The other key scorer is G Markel Starks (12.4 PPG, 3.0 APG), who like Porter has been on-point from distance, hitting 42.7% of his threes. Accurate outside shooting will be key to giving the Hoyas a shot of breaking down Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone on Saturday.

No current member of the Orange scored double-digit points against the Hoyas last year as the graduated Kris Joseph carried the team to victory with 29 points. This year’s squad is led by 6-foot-6 PG Michael Carter-Williams (12.7 PPG) who is second nationally in assists (8.2 APG) and third in steals (3.0 SPG). He’s making just 38.0% FG and turning it over 3.5 times per game, but makes up for it with his elite defense and ball distribution. SG Brandon Triche (14.9 PPG) leads the offense, and over his past two games is averaging 21.5 PPG. Junior SF C.J. Fair (14.3 PPG, 7.3 RPG) is the team’s biggest asset down low, though he can stretch a defense with his shot and is coming off two consecutive double-doubles, averaging 19.5 PPG and 10.5 RPG. The team also gets a big spark off the bench from PF James Southerland (13.8 PPG), who knocks down 2.3 threes per game and scored 20 points his last time out on 7-for-8 shooting. He’s shown no trepidation since returning from academic violations, and will be key to breaking down a stingy Georgetown defense that yields just 56.1 PPG, second lowest in the Big East.

Still in search of sneaking into the NCAA Tournament without star freshman Nerlens Noel done for the year, Kentucky will host the nation’s top rebounding team, Missouri on Saturday night.

These two teams haven’t played each other in 13 seasons. Kentucky enters this game with its first win without Noel, a four-point victory against Vanderbilt Wednesday that marked the Wildcats’ fourth consecutive ATS loss. Missouri, meanwhile, grabs 42.2 rebounds per game, tops in the nation. Kentucky will need to find a way to keep the Tigers off the glass with the absence of its top rebounder Noel, who also leads the nation in blocked shots.

Six double-digit scorers pace the well-balanced Missouri attack. None is more integral to the team’s successes and failures than PG Phil Pressey (11.8 PPG, 6.9 APG), who marshals the offense. He, however, struggles with turnovers, coughing it up 3.7 times per game and makes just 36.7% FG this year. PF Alex Oriakhi (10.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG) paces the team’s prolific rebounding, averaging 10.8 RPG in the team’s past four contests. He’s also a defensive specialist with 1.6 BPG. PF Laurence Bowers (14.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG) joins him in the post as a more dynamic forward who can also shoot the ball. He led the Tigers with a double-double against Florida, tallying 17 points and 10 boards. SG Jabari Brown (14.5 PPG) leads the offense in scoring as a dangerous threat from deep, hitting 2.6 threes per game. Like Pressey though, he needs to up his percentages, hitting just 39.2% FG. Guards Keion Bell (11.6 PPG) and Earnest Ross (10.5 PPG) round out the team on the wing. Bell snapped a streak of four consecutive 20-point games with a nine-point effort against the Gators.

With Noel out, the onus on replacing his minutes falls to fellow heralded freshman Willie Cauley-Stein (8.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG), who stepped up in the win against Vanderbilt with his best game of the season, notching 20 points, seven boards and three blocks. But he has been inconsistent. In the loss to Tennessee, he fouled out in just 23 minutes of play, finishing with four turnovers, two points and two boards. He’s joined in the frontcourt by sophomore PF Kyle Wiltjer (11.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG), who is dangerous from beyond the arc, hitting two threes per game. Freshman SG Archie Goodwin (13.7 PPG) paces the offense, but has also battled inconsistency. He snapped three consecutive single-digit scoring efforts with 16 points against Vanderbilt. PF Alex Poythress (11.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG) has also been kept in check lately, averaging 6.0 PPG in his past six games.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons should not be catching 7.5 points at home today to the Miami Hurricanes. I'll gladly take advantage and back the home squad in a game that I believe they have an excellent chance to win outright.

At 22-3 and as the No. 2 team in the country, the Hurricanes come into this contest way overvalued. They are also a perfect 13-0 in ACC play which has the betting public continuing to back them. Miami has started to show signs of coming back down to reality as each of its last three victories have come by 6 points or less over FSU (74-68), Clemson (45-43) and Virginia (54-50).

Wake Forest is just 11-15 on the season, but this is certainly a team that is much better than its record would indicate. It has played very well at home this year where it is 9-4 SU & 7-3 ATS on the season. It has home wins over the likes of Xavier (66-59), Virginia (55-52), NC State (86-84) and Florida State (71-46). It also has a narrow home loss to Duke (70-75) as a 13.5-point underdog.

One of the biggest reasons I am on Wake Forest Saturday is the fact that it has had a week to prepare for Miami since last playing on February 16th in a 56-57 loss to Georgia Tech. Meanwhile, this will be the 3rd game in 7 days for Miami as it played Clemson on 17th and Virginia on the 19th. The Demon Deacons will have a huge edge in rest and preparation.

The Demon Deacons are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 home games. Wake Forest is 16-5-1 ATS in its last 22 games following a ATS loss. The Demon Deacons are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Take Wake Forest Saturday.
NCAA-B | Feb 23 '13 (1:45p)
TEXAS TECH vs IOWA STATE TEXAS TECH
+19½-106 at 5dimes
15* Big 12 GAME OF THE DAY on Texas Tech +19.5

The Iowa State Cyclones are way overvalued as nearly a 20-point home favorite over the Texas Tech Red Raiders Saturday. Sure, the Cyclones are one of the best home teams in the country, but asking them to win by 20-plus is simply asking too much.

This is a huge letdown spot for Iowa State. It is coming off its first significant road win of the season with an 87-82 triumph at Baylor. With Kansas on deck Monday, there's no question that the Cyclones will be overlooking these Red Raiders and looking ahead to that huge showdown with the Jayhawks.

Texas Tech already beat Iowa State once this season with a 56-51 home victory as a 10.5-point underdog on January 23rd. It has played some other good teams tough this season, including a 64-66 loss at West Virginia as a 14-point underdog in its last road game on February 16th.

This play falls into a system that is 83-41 (66.9%) ATS since 1997. It tells us to bet against a home team (IOWA ST) - a very good team (>=+8 PPG differential) against a poor team (-3.5 to -8 PPG differential), after a combined score of 165 points or more.

The Red Raiders are 11-4-1 ATS in the last 16 meetings. Texas Tech is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games following a double-digit loss at home. The Cyclones are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games vs. a team with a winning % below .400. Roll with Texas Tech Saturday.
NCAA-B | Feb 23 '13 (4:00p)
Texas Christian vs Kansas Kansas
-23½-106 at 5dimes
15* CBB Saturday No-Doubt Rout on Kansas Jayhawks -23.5

The Kansas Jayhawks will be highly motivated for a victory Saturday when they host the TCU Horned Frogs. Not only are the Jayhawks fighting for the Big 12 title with Kansas State and Oklahoma State, they also want revenge on the Horned Frogs for their most embarrassing loss of the season.

TCU actually beat Kansas 62-55 at home on February 6th as a 17-point underdog in their first meeting of the season. Kansas scored just 13 points in the first half in what head coach Bill Self called the worst performance in program history. You can bet that these players will want to run up the scoreboard on TCU to make a statement in this one.

The Horned Frogs have fallen flat on their faces since that huge upset. They have gone 0-4 SU & 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games overall with home losses to West Virginia (50-63) and Texas (59-68), and road losses to Oklahoma (48-75) and Iowa State (53-87). If Oklahoma won by 27 and Iowa State won by 34, you can just imagine what Kansas is going to do to TCU in the rematch Saturday.

TCU is 0-6 ATS after having lost 6 or 7 of their last 8 games this season. The Horned Frogs are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 Saturday games. TCU is 0-4 ATS in its last 4 road games. The Horned Frogs are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. These four trends combine for a 19-0 system backing the Jayhawks. Bet Kansas Saturday.
NCAA-B | Feb 23 '13 (4:00p)
TENNESSEE vs TEXAS A&M TEXAS A&M
-1½-110 at SIA
15* SEC GAME OF THE DAY on Texas A&M -1.5

The Texas A&M Aggies should be a much bigger home favorite over the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday. Texas A&M still has an outside shot at making the NCAA Tournament, and it will be laying it all on the line to get a win in this one because of it.

The Aggies have been playing their best basketball of the season over the past month while going 4-3 SU & 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall. All three of its losses during this stretch came by 7 points or less with two of them coming on the road. It has impressive home wins over both Missouri and Ole Miss during this span.

Texas A&M is 11-4 SU & 6-2 ATS at home this season. Tennessee is just 2-6 in true road games this season which is why I believe it is getting too much respect from oddsmakers here. Plus, the Vols come in overvalued due to their four-game winning streak that includes unimpressive wins over South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kentucky (minus Noel) and LSU.

This play falls into a system that is 87-49 (64%) ATS since 1997. It tells us to bet against an underdog (TENNESSEE) - a poor offensive team (63-67 PPG) against an excellent defensive team (<=63 PPG), after 2 straight wins by 10 points or more.

Tennessee is 6-21 ATS after 2 straight games where they made 50% of their shots or better since 1997. Texas A&M is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 home games. The Aggies are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 home games vs. a team with a road winning % of less than .400. Take Texas A&M Saturday.
NCAA-B | Feb 23 '13 (7:00p)
Arkansas vs FLORIDA FLORIDA
-18½-106 at 5dimes
15* Arkansas/Florida ESPNU No-Brainer on Florida -18.5

The Florida Gators (21-4) will be more motivated for a win Saturday than they have been at any other point this season. They just blew a double-digit second-half lead at Missouri last time out on Tuesday to fall 60-63. They'll be pissed off from that loss, and they'll also be out for revenge from a 69-80 loss at Arkansas as a 10.5-point favorite in their first meeting of the season on February 5th.

Florida returns home where it is 12-0 on the season and outscoring opponents by a whopping 27.4 points/game. Arkansas has been excellent at home as well where it has lost just one game all season. However, the Razorbacks are just 1-6 in true road games this season.

Arkansas' road losses include blowout defeats at the hands of Michigan (67-80), Texas A&M (51-69), South Carolina (54-75) and Vanderbilt (49-67). If the Razorbacks could lose on the road by 18 to both Texas A&M and Vanderbilt, and by 21 to South Carolina, you can just imagine what a motivated Florida team is going to do to them Saturday.

The Razorbacks are 19-46 ATS in their last 65 road games. Arkansas is 15-41 ATS in their last 56 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. The Razorbacks are 1-9 ATS in road games after having won 5 or 6 of their last 7 games over the last 3 seasons. Arkansas is 0-7 ATS in road games after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 3 seasons. Roll with Florida Saturday.
-= TOP PLAY =-
NCAA-B | Feb 23 '13 (8:00p)
DENVER U vs NORTHERN IOWA NORTHERN IOWA
-4-106 at 5dimes
25* CBB Bracketbuster GAME OF THE YEAR on Norther Iowa -4

The Northern Iowa Panthers take on the Denver Pioneers in a bracketbuster game Saturday in non-conference action. I am laying the wood on the Panthers as only a 4-point home favorite today as they continue playing their best basketball of the season.

Northern Iowa has won six straight games coming in, which includes home victories over Wichita State (57-52) and Creighton (61-54), which are considered the two best teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. They also went on the road and beat Bradley, Drake and Missouri State during this run.

Denver is a quality team at 17-8, but the fact of the matter is that it plays in the very weak conference in the in the WAC. This is a Pioneers' team that plays much better at home than they do on the road. They are just 7-6 in true road games this season. They'll be up against a Panthers team that is 12-2 at home while outscoring opponents by a whopping 14.9 points/game there.

Northern Iowa is 6-0 ATS versus teams who make 8 or more 3 point shots/game on the season this season. The Panthers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Pioneers are 13-44-1 ATS in their last 58 road games vs. a team with a home winning % of greater than .600. Bet Northern Iowa Saturday.

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